Over the last few years, the Patriots have been fortunate to pick high in the first round of the NFL Draft, allowing them to select their franchise cornerbacks, quarterbacks, and left tackle. Because they were a much-improved team in 2025, however, they hold the No. 31 pick this time, meaning they won't have the luxury of getting one of the top prospects of the incoming class.
That doesn't mean they don't have significant needs they need to address, and in most mock drafts, they do just that by taking an offensive lineman or a pass rusher in Round 1.
One of the more recent mock drafts has them following that recipe and waiting until the third round to take a wide receiver. Although it is considered one of their top needs, it isn't viewed as important as the other positions. But the player they take in this mock draft puts them at risk of making a similar mistake that Bill Belichick could have avoided in 2022.
Despite a new regime, they could be on a path to making the same mistake because they were too high on drafting a speedster.
New mock draft is a sign of what the Patriots need to avoid in the early rounds
In a new mock draft by Cody Williams of FanSided, the Patriots take wide receiver Brenen Thompson from Mississippi State with the 95th overall pick. And while he impressed at the Combine and during his latest college season, it was mostly due to his speed rather than his potential in the NFL.
That's the same trait that Belichick was fascinated with when choosing Thornton four years ago, and look how that turned out.
There's a good chance that Thompson is a better player than Thornton, as he did crush his final season's stat line by logging 57 receptions for 1,054 yards and six touchdowns. He became known for blowing past defenders, even embarrassing them, and recorded an impressive number of 40+ yard touchdowns during his career.
However, there is a fear that his speed is the best part about his game, and if that's the case, the Patriots need a more refined player to boost their offense than just that.
It's certainly valuable to have someone who can run past any cornerback on the field, but it's not if you have a player who could be considered one-dimensional.
That could be the case with a player like Thompson, and it might not be a risk New England should entertain making, especially when they have a player like Kyle Williams still on the roster, who has yet to be unlocked to show his real potential.
Adding another player who might need time or could prove not to be a long-term solution is something Vrabel and Co. need to avoid.